Ground anchor apparatus

ABSTRACT

A ground anchor apparatus drivable into the earth by first and second hollow driving rods, the anchor apparatus having a pile member with an elongated generally flat primary blade and a secondary blade fixed to the primary blade with sections extending outwardly from each of the flat sides of the primary blade at right angles thereto. One end of the primary blade is pointed to form an earth piercing end, and the opposite end is provided with a pair of slots thereon spaced equally from the plane of the secondary blade. An annular collar is seated in the slots and fixed to the primary blade, its central opening straddling the slotted end of the primary blade and arranged to receive an end of the first hollow driving rod therein, permitting the pile member to be driven into the earth by force applied to the first driving rod. A U-shaped, deformable wedge has a connector member extending from its apex in a direction away from the legs of the wedge. The free end of the connector member extends toward an object on the surface of the ground and is there eventually coupled to tie down means in order to confine the object and attach it to the embedded anchor apparatus. The legs of the wedge pass through the opening in the collar, one leg positioned on each side of the primary blade and each leg being confronted by a wedge guiding edge on the extending sections of the secondary blade. The guiding edges are constructed and arranged to contact the adjacent leg of the wedge when the wedge is driven downward through the annular collar and against the guiding edges by the second hollow driving rod which is inserted over the connector member to contact the apex of the wedge. Downward force applied to the second driving rod forces the legs of the wedge through the collar and against the guiding edges, the annular collar and the guiding edges cooperating to deform the legs of the wedge outwardly from the pile member along a curve so as to assume a splayed position resistant to extraction of the pile member from the earth. The first and second driving rods are removed from the anchor apparatus after driving it into the earth and the tie down means then coupled to the connector member.

[ Nov. 2%, 1973 crown Aucuoa ArrAhArus 22 Filed: .Hully 27, 1972 211 Appl.No.:275,73d

Primary Examiner-John lE. Murtagh Att0rneyGeorge F. Williamson et a1.

[57 ABSTRACT A ground anchor apparatus drivable into the earth by first and second hollow driving rods, the anchor apparatus having a pile member with an elongated generally flat primary blade and a secondary blade fixed to the primary blade with sections extending outwardly from each of the flat sides of the primary blade at right angles thereto. One end of the primary blade is pointed to form an earth piercing end, and the opposite end is provided with a pair of slots thereon spaced equally from the plane of the secondary blade. An annular collar is seated in the slots and fixed to the primary blade, its central opening straddling the slotted end of the primary blade and arranged to receive an end of the first hollow driving rod therein, permitting the pile member to be driven into the earth by force applied to the first driving rod.

A U-shaped, deformable wedge has a connector member extending from its apex in a direction away from the legs of the wedge. The free end of the connector member extends toward an object on the surface of the ground and is there eventually coupled to tie down means in order to confine the object and attach it to the embedded anchor apparatus. The legs of the wedge pass through the opening in the collar, one leg positioned on each side of the primary blade and each leg being confronted by a wedge guiding edge on the extending sections of the secondary blade. The guiding edges are constructed and arranged to contact the adjacent leg of the wedge when the wedge is driven downward through the annular collar and against the guiding edges by the second hollow driving rod which is inserted over the connector member to contact the apex of the wedge. Downward force applied to the second driving rod forces the legs of the wedge through the collar and against the guiding edges, the annular collar and the guiding edges cooperating to deform the legs of the wedge outwardly from thepile member along a curve so as to assume a splayed position resistant to extraction of the pile member from the earth. The first and second driving rods are removed from the anchor apparatus after driving it into the earth and the tie down means then coupled to the connector member.

GROUND ANCHOR APPARATUS BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to the field of ground anchors for trailers, boat docks, vehicles and the like, and provides an improved anchor which is highly reliable and yet simple and economical to manufacture.

The anchor apparatus has a pile member which includes an elongated generally flat primary blade formed of sturdy steel or like material with a pointed earth piercing end and a driving end. The pile member also has a secondary blade with sections thereof extending outwardly from each of the flat sides of the primary blade. These primary and secondary blades are rigidly interconnected and cooperate to resist rotation of the pile member when the member is embedded in the earth. The driving end of the primary blade is provided with a pair of slots, the slots being positioned on each side of the primary blade and spaced substantially equal distances from the plane of the secondary blade. These spaced slots provide a seat for an annular collar which forms a part of the pile member and whose walls are inserted in the slots and attached rigidly to the primary blade, the central opening of the collar straddling the driving end of the primary blade and having an annular flange within the collar to form a socket therein adapted to receive an end of a first hollow driving rod. The first driving rod is removably inserted in the socket and pounded downwardly by any means known to the art to drive the pile member into the earth a predetermined distance.

A U-shaped, deformable wedge has aconnector member extending from the apex of the wedge in a direction opposite to the legs of the wedge. The legs of the wedge are inserted through the opening in the annular collar, a leg positioned on each side of the primary blade. The connector member and wedge being adapted to fit within the hollow interior of the first driving rod, permitting the rod to be inserted thereover and guided into the socket in the collar.

Each of the sections of the secondary blade are provided with a wedge guiding edge constructed and arranged to contact and guide the adjacent leg of the wedge as the legs are driven through the collar to thereby cause the legs to be deformed outwardly from the pile member along a curve to a splayed position resistant to extraction of the pile member from the earth. The collar, the flange therein, and the guding edges of the secondary blade cooperate to deform the legs of the wedge along the curve when the second hollow driving rod is inserted over the connector member to rest on the apex of the wedge and pounded downward against the wedge, forcing it toward the collar. The driving rods are then removed from the anchor.

The connector member is a sturdy rod extending from the apex of the wedge to a point adjacent ground level and having its free end near or above ground.

One problem area to which the invention is directed is the securing to the earth of house trailers and mobile homes to prevent their tipping or rolling during high winds. Many trailer parks have received heavy damage by wind overturning or twisting the trailer units within such parks, and any such movement rapidly causes breakage of utility lines to the trailers with attendant problems of broken water lines and gas leaks. The anchor may be coupled to a bifurcated member by threading it onto the connector member, the bifurcated member carrying a pivotally mounted lever with an overcenter relationship which can be used to securely tighten a strap extending therefrom and passed over the top of a trailer unit to a like anchoring device on the opposite side of the trailer. Two or three such bands placed over the roof of the trailer will prevent its being overturned or rolling in extreme weather.

In addition, the ground anchor apparatus can be used to provide a mounting for boat dock posts. It has application as an anchor for aircraft on a landing field. It has obvious application to agricultural activity where farm equipment and light vehicles are sometimes left in the field and require anchorage to resist wind damage. The device can be used to anchor a wide variety of objects to the earth.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a front perspective view showing the ground anchor apparatus securing a mobile home.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ground anchor apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a exploded view showing one form of construction of the pile member.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the overcenter lever used to tighten straps extended about the mobile home of FIG. 1.

FIG. I5 is an alternative embodiment of the apparatus adapted to boat dock construction.

FIG. 7 is another alternative embodiment of the apparatus.

FIG. 3 is still another alternative embodiment of the apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to FIG. 1, a mobile home I2 is solidly anchored to the earth. II by a plurality of ground anchor apparatuses 10, the last of four anchors being located on the reverse side of the mobile home I2 and being obscured thereby.

The ground anchor apparatus It) has a pile member I which includes primary blade 16, secondary blade 18 and collar 20 (FIGS. 2 and 3).

The primary blade I6 is formed from heavy steel or the equivalent and is provided with a pointed earth piercing end 22 and a driving end 24 opposite the piercing end, the blade 16 being generally flat. The driving end 24 is provided with a pair of spaced slots 26 and 23 (FIG. 41) adapted to receive the peripheral wall of the collar 20 therein, the slots being substantially equally spaced from the plane of the secondary blade Id.

The secondary blade I3 is rigidly fixed to the primary blade 16, blade sections 300 and 32 extending from each of the flat sides 3% and 36, respectively, of primary blade I6 and being substantially perpendicular to the plane of the primary blade I6 and parallel to the central axis of collar 20. The secondary blade 11% may be formed from a single metal member as shown in FIG. 4 where blade 18 has a groove 3% arranged to be received within a cooperating groove 39 in primary blade I6, the two blades then being welded together or rigidly joined by other means known to the art. Alternatively, the primary blade may be formed without a groove 39, the secondary blade then having sections 30 and 32 (FIG. 2) rigidly fixed to the sides 34 and 36, respectively, of primary blade 16.

The extending sections 30 and 32 of secondary blade 18 cooperate with primary blade 16 to resist rotation of the pile member 14 when the anchor is embedded in the earth. The sections 30 and 32 also provide a pair of downwardly angled wedge guiding edges 40 and 42 which are positioned so as to confront and guide the legs 44 and 46, respectively of wedge 48, which will be described further hereafter.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the collar 20 is of circular cross section and welded rigidly in position in the slots 26 and 28 of the primary blade 16. The collar is provided with an interior annular flange 50 which contacts the base of the slots 26 and 28 and provides a ledge 52, the ledge and interior wall of the collar 20 providing a socket adapted to removably receive an end of the first hollow driving rod 54 which will be described further hereafter. The flange 50 also aids in confining the legs of wedge 48 and cooperates with guiding edges 40 and 42 to deform the legs 44 and 46 of the wedge outwardly as will be described hereafter.

The pile member 14, which includes primary blade 16, secondary blade 18, and collar 20 may be varied in general shape and appearance from the precise structure shown in FIGS. 2-4 without substantially affecting its efficiency, and such variations as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are within the purview of the claimed invention. Although the collar 20 has been shown as having a circular cross section, other collar shapes could as readily have been used and are within the purview of the invention.

The wedge 48 is U-shaped with legs 44 and 46 extending downwardly from apex 56. The wedge is formed of sturdy metallic material which is sufficiently flexible to be deformable when force is applied to the apex 56 to drive it through the collar 20 and toward wedge guiding edges 40 and 42. The legs 44 and 46 pass through the collar 20, one leg lying on each side of the primary blade 16 and the ends of the legs 44 and 46 contacting the wedge guiding edges 40 and 42, respectively. When the wedge 48 is forced through the collar 20 in direction 58 the flared ends of the legs 44 and 46 (FIG. 3) strike the wedge guiding edges 40 and 42 but the legs remain confined by the inner periphery of flange 50, causing the legs 44 and 46 to bend or deform outwardly along a curve, the legs of the wedge eventually assuming a splayed position 76 indicated in phantom in FIG. 3. The legs reach their final position 76 when the T-bar 64 at the apex contacts the driving edge 24 of primary blade 16.

The apex 56 of the wedge 48 is provided with a bore 60 through which connector member 62 extends, the connector having a T-shaped cross bar 64 positioned within the apex of the wedge. As the wedge is driven downwardly through the collar 20, the T-bar 64 eventually contacts the driving edge 24 of primary blade 16 and remains there. The wedge 48 is provided with a fairly broad flat surface 66 therealong which is highly resistant to extraction of the pile member after the wedge has been splayed outward as shown in FIG. 3.

A sturdy, hollow interior first driving rod 54 is constructed and arranged to fit within the socket formed by collar 20 and flange 50, the driving rod 54 being provided with a removable cap 68. The cap 68 has an anvil 70 surrounded by a flange 72, the anvil 70 resting on the upper end of the rod 54 and confined thereon by the encirculing flange 72. The hollow interior of the first driving rod 54 removably encircles wedge 48 and connector member 62, permitting the rod to rest within the socket of collar 20. When an operator applies a downward force to the cap 68, the first driving rod 54 transmits a downward driving force to the collar 20 adequate to force the pile member with its then unexpanded and undeformed wedge 48 into the earth to a predetermined depth which is typically 2 to 3 feet, although greater or lesser depths are within the range of the apparatus.

When the pile member has been driven to the desired depth, the operator removes cap 68 from the upper end of the first driving rod 54 and inserts second driving rod 74 within the first driving rod 54, the hollow interior of second driving rod 74 removably encircling the connector member 62. The lower end of the rod 74 rests upon the apex 56 of the wedge 48, permitting the operator to apply downward force to anvil 75 to force the wedge 48 downwardly to expand it.

It has been found helpful to leave the first driving rod 54 in the socket of collar 20 while the second driving rod 74 is driving the wedge 48 downwardly. The first driving rod 54 encircles the legs of the wedge and confines them therein while the wedge is being driven downwardly. If the ends of the legs of the wedge encounter rock like obstructions as they expand outwardly along the edges 40 and 42 the inner wall of the outer rod 54 contains the upper portions of the wedge and keeps the wedge from bending outward before it passes through the collar. It should be understood, however, that in ordinary circumstances where the legs of the wedge do not encounter rock-like material, the wedge 48 may be successfully and efficiently driven downwardly through the collar 20 by the driving rod 74 without the presence of first driving rod 54 being required. When the pile member has been embedded in the ground at the predetermined depth and the wedge 48 expanded to the splayed position 76 the driving rods 54 and 74 can be removed and are no longer needed.

The connector member 62 extending upwardly from the apex 56 of wedge 48 is of a length adequate to extend above the surface of the ground and is provided with a threaded end 78.

When the ground anchor apparatus 10 is to be used to secure a mobile home, trailer or the like to the earth, it has been found desirable to place metal angle irons 80 on the comer of the trailer roof to evenly distribute the applied downward force of the anchors and thereby discourage buckling of the roof. A sturdy metal strap 82 or the equivalent is placed over the mobile home 12, passing over the roof and resting on the angle irons 80 at each edge 1 12 of the roof. Ordinarily two such straps encircling the trailer body are adequate with small trailers, although for larger trailers it may be desirable to have three or four such straps, each of which straps comprise tie down means to retain the mobile home in contact with the earth.

A bifuracted member 84 (FIG. 5) is attached to threaded end 78 of the connector member 62 by means of nuts threaded on to the end 78 of each side of the bifurcated member 84, the nuts being tightened to hold the bifurcated member therebetween (FIG. 5).

Pins 86 and 88 pivotally mount lever 90 to the bifurcated member 84. A cross bar 92 extends between arms 94 and 96 of the lever 90, and strap 82 extending downwardly from the roof of the mobile home 12 is secured to bar 92. The bar 92 is positioned on the lever 96 such that the bar 92 is in an overcenter relationship with the axis of pins 66 and 86, permitting the lever 96 to be self retained in the locked position shown in FIG. 5 when a load is applied to the strap 62. The handle 96 of lever 96 has a hasp I66 which fits about the connector member 62 and permits an operator to attach a pad lock therethrough to prevent the lever '96 from being released by unauthorized persons.

The bifurcated member 64 and the pivotally mounted lever 96 from a mechanism for adjusting the tension of the tie down means and permit an operator to adjust the tension applied to the roof of the trailer 12 by the straps 62 to compensate for seasonal temperature variations. In cold weather, the lever 96 is kept in the closed position shown in FIG. 5 to provide rigid support for the mobile home 112. When the temperature is high it has been found helpful to open the lever 96 thereby reducing the downward tension on the straps 82, permitting expansion of the trailer to occur without damage to the trailer. As is apparent from FIG. I, it is desirable to have an anchor on each side of the trailer with a strap 82 extending between them, a tension adjusting mechanism being used with at least one of each pair of cooperating anchors. With the mobile home I2 shown in FIG. I, four ground anchors are in use and two straps 82 extend over the roof of the trailer.

If desired, the shown connector member 62 with its threaded end 76 may be replaced by other types of connector members shown in FIGS. 7 and 6, all such variations of the connector member being within the purview of the invention. In FIG. 6, the ground anchor I6 is provided with a first driving rod I62 designed for use in the lake bottom of a body of water to support a boat dock. The driving rod I62 has a hollow interior I63 and extends upwardly from the collar 26 to which it is rigidly attached, a rigid rectangular metal plate I64 being attached to the rod I62 therealong and at a substantially right angle thereto. The plate I64, loosely attached and fitted about the rod I62 is positioned approximately 4 6 inches below the bottom of the lake bed to provide vertical and lateral support for the rod I02. A tubular post 165 is telescoped about the upper end of rod 162 and rests on the plate I66. A plurality of spaced bores along the post 165 permits an operator to adjust the boat dock platform I66 to the desired height above the water.

In FIG. 7 a second type of connector member 168 is shown attached to the wedge, the member 166 being a flexible metal cable with a loop I69 at the end thereof. The flexible connector member I66 is useful where strong laterally directed forces on the connector member can be anticipated.

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the connector member wherein member II6 is provided with an eyelet III at the end thereof, the shown connector member 116 being particularly useful for securing parked aircraft.

In operation, the operator places the ground anchor 116 in an upright position with the piercing end 22 of the pile member I6 contacting the ground surface. The wedge 46 is then within the collar 26 in the position shown in FIG. 2 wherein the legs are above and confronting the wedge guiding edges 66 and 62. The first hollow driving rod 54 is placed over the connector member 62 and wedge 66 so as to encircle them, the

rod 54 resting within the socket defined by the interior wall of the collar 26 and the ledge 62 of flange 56. Using a hammer or pile driver on the cap 66 (FIG. 3) the operator forces the driving rod 64 downwardly causing the pile member I4 to be driven into the earth. He continues to force the driving rod 56 downwardly until the pile member is at the predetermined depth which is typically 2 to 3 feet below the ground surface.

The operator next removes cap 66 from the upper end of first driving rod 56 and inserts second driving rod 74 within the first driving rod 54, the second rod 741 surrounding the connector member 62 and resting upon the apex 56 of wedge 46. The second driving rod 76 is now driven downwardly by force applied to the anvil 75, causing the wedge 46 to be urged through the collar 26. The legs 64 and d6 of the wedge 46 move downwardly and the flared ends thereof striking the wedge guiding edges 46 and 412, respectively of secondary blade I6, causing the legs 44 and 46 to be deformed outwardly from the sides of the primary blade I6 by the wedge guiding edges and the flange 56 within collar 26. The wedge is forced downwardly through the collar until the T bar 64 rests upon the driving edge 24 of the primary blade I6, at which point the legs M and 46 of wedge I6 are fully splayed outward occupying a position 76 like that shown in FIGS. 3 and 6 through 6.

The primary blade 16 and the sections 36 and 32 of secondary blade I8 extending therefrom strongly resist rotation of the pile member I4 about an axis passing through member 62, and the splayed wedge 66, now in position 76, with its flat surface 66 strongly resists extraction of the ground anchor from the earth. In the event the legs 44 and 416 strike rock like material during their expansion and cause a leg of the wedge to begin buckling outwardly above the collar 26, the inner wall of the driving rod 56 confines the legs to substantially prevent troublesome buckling and assures that the rod can be driven downward and overcome considerable rock like material. When the wedge 48 is in the position 76 shown in FIG. 3, being fully splayed, the driving rods 56 and 7 1- are pulled outwardly out of the ground. These driving rods can be used repeatedly to drive additional ground anchors.

After the earth anchor I6 has been firmly embedded in the earth the connector member 62 extends slightly above the surface of the ground, and the bifurcated member 64 and pivotally mounted lever 96 is then attached thereto with the pair of nuts already described in conjunction with FIG. 6.

The operator drives as many of the earth anchors as may be necessary to accomplish his purpose. If the objective is the anchoring of a mobile home I2 (FIG. I) the operator drives four to six ground anchors with an equal number being placed on each side of the vehicle opposite one another. The lever 66 of the tension adjusting mechanism is then moved to an open position and the strap 62 is connected between the rods 92 of the levers 96 of a pair of anchors on opposite sides of the mobile home 112. The operator then swings the le vers 66 to the closed position shown in FIG. 5 and the mobile home is then solidly secured to the earth Ill. In extremely warm weather or in frost heave conditions it is desirable to loosen one or both of the lever arms 96 of cooperating pairs of anchors so as to allow for expansion and changing ground conditions. This assures that buckling of the upper edge M2 is avoided.

To embed the ground anchor of FIG. 6 in the lake bottom, the post I62 has a removable cap 66 placed thereon, and then the post 102 driven downwardly into the lake bottom to the predetermined depth. The operator scoops out a 4 6 inch trough beneath plate 104 so that it will be beneath the lake bottom. After driving the anchor to the desired depth the operator covers the plate 104 with sand or like lake bottom material, and then cap 68 is removed from the hollow post 102. The operator next inserts a second driving rod 74 within post 102, the lower end of rod 74 resting on the apex of wedge 48 which is then not yet expanded. Rod 74 is driven downwardly to urge wedge 48 to a splayed position 76, and the rod 74 then withdrawn. Dock post 105 is then telescoped over post 102 to rest on plate 104, and the dock 106 attached to the post 105. In late fall the dock can be easily removed and stored for winter by lifting post 105 upward off post 102. A plurality of spaced bores in post 105 permit the height of the dock to be varied.

The operation procedure described in conjunction with the ground anchor of FIGS. ll is also used to drive the ground anchors shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

Accordingly the ground anchor apparatus 10 provides a highly reliable, easily manufactured, and inexpensive device which has great utility for anchoring the increasing numbers of mobile homes which are now in use. With the described anchoring apparatus retaining the mobile home in position, the danger of wind damage and resulting over turning of vehicles is greatly diminished.

While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, it should be understood that various changes, adaptations and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A ground anchor apparatus to be driven into the earth by first and second hollow driving rods comprismg:

a pile member including an elongated generally fiat primary blade with an earth piercing end and a driving end and further including a secondary blade fixed to said primary blade with sections extending outwardly from each of the flat sides of said primary blade, said primary and secondary blades cooperating to resist rotation of the pile member when embedded in the earth;

said pile member further including a collar fixed to the driving end of said primary blade with the opening in said collar straddling the driving end, the opening in said collar being arranged to removably receive an end of the first hollow driving rod therein permitting the pile member to be driven into the earth a predetermined distance by force applied to the first driving rod;

U-shaped deformable wedge having a connector member extending from the apex of said wedge in a direction away from the legs of said wedge, the connector member adapted to removably slide within the hollow interior of the first and second driving rods, the legs of said wedge passing through the opening of said collar with one leg positioned on each side of said primary blade; and

each of said sections of said secondary blade having a wedge guiding edge constructed and arranged to contact and guide a leg of said wedge when the wedge is driven through the collar and against the guiding edge, and to cause the leg to be deformed outwardly from the pile member so as to resist extraction of the already driven pile member from the earth, the collar and guiding edges cooperating to deform the legs of said wedge when the second driving rod is removably received about said connector member and driven downwardly against the apex of said wedge, urging the wedge through said collar.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said primary blade has a pair of slots along its driving end adapted to receive the wall of said collar therein said slots being substantially equally spaced from the plane of said secondary blade.

3. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said collar has an inner annular flange contacting the base of said slots, the flange bearing against said legs of said wedge to increase the rate of bending of said legs as they are forced through said collar and against said guiding edges of said secondary blade.

4. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said sections of said secondary blade are generally perpendicular to said primary blade and parallel to the axis of said collar.

5. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said connector member is an elongate rod with a screw thread at the free end.

6. The combination according to claim 1 and further including tie down means mounted to and extending between said anchor apparatus and an object adjacent ground level to confine the object.

7. The combination according to claim 6 and further including a mechanism for adjusting tension to the tie down means to allow for expansion caused by seasonal temperature variation.

8. A ground anchor apparatus comprising:

a first hollow driving rod;

a second hollow driving rod insertable within the interior of said first hollow driving rod;

a pile member including an elongated generally flat primary blade with an earth piercing end and a driving end and further including a secondary blade fixed to said primary blade with sections extending outwardly from each of the flat sides of said primary blade, said primary and secondary blades cooperating to resist rotation of the pile member when embedded in the earth;

said pile member further including a collar fixed to the driving end of said primary blade with the opening in said collar straddling the driving end, the opening in said collar being arranged to receive an end of said first hollow driving rod therein, permitting the pile member to be driven into the earth a predetermined distance by force applied to said first rod;

U-shaped deformable wedge arranged to be movably received within said first hollow driving rod, the legs of said wedge passing through the opening of said collar with one leg positioned on each side of said primary blade; and

each of said sections of said secondary blade having a wedge guiding edge constructed and arranged to confront and contact the leg of said wedge when the wedge is driven through the collar and against the guiding edge and to cause the leg to be deformed outwardly from the pile member so as to resist extraction of the already driven pile member from the earth, the collar and guiding edges cooperating to deform the legs of said wedge when the said first hollow driving rod resting upon and driven downwardly against the apex of said wedge, said first driving rod confining the wedge and preventing wedge deformation beyond the confines of the interior of said first rod as said second rod urges the wedge through said collar, said second rod then being removed from said first rod.

9. The combination according to claim 8 wherein said first rod is rigidly attached to said collar within the posite to the legs of said wedge. 

1. A ground anchor apparatus to be driven into the earth by first and second hollow driving rods comprising: a pile member including an elongated generally flat primary blade with an earth piercing end and a driving end and further including a secondary blade fixed to said primary blade with sections extending outwardly from each of the flat sides of said primary blade, said primary and secondary blades cooperating to resist rotation of the pile member when embedded in the earth; said pile member further including a collar fixed to the driving end of said primary blade with the opening in said collar straddling the driving end, the opening in said collar being arranged to removably receive an end of the first hollow driving rod therein permitting the pile member to be driven into the earth a predetermined distance by force applied to the first driving rod; a U-shaped deformable wedge having a connector member extending from the apex of said wedge in a direction away from the legs of said wedge, the connector member adapted to removably slide within the hollow interior of the first and second driving rods, the legs of said wedge passing through the opening of said collar with one leg positioned on each side of said primary blade; and each of said sections of said secondary blade having a wedge guiding edge constructed and arranged to contact and guide a leg of said wedge when the wedge is driven through the collar and against the guiding edge, and to cause the leg to be deformed outwardly from the pile member so as to resist extraction of the already driven pile member from the earth, the collar and guiding edges cooperating to deform the legs of said wedge when the second driving rod is removably received about said connector member and driven downwardly against the apex of said wedge, urging the wedge through said collar.
 2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said primary blade has a pair of slots along its driving end adapted to receive the wall of said collar therein said slots being substantially equally spaced from the plane of said secondary blade.
 3. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said collar has an inner annular flange contacting the base of said slots, the flange bearing against said legs of said wedge to increase the rate of bending of said legs as they are forced through said collar and against said guiding edges of said secondary blade.
 4. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said sections of said secondary blade are generally perpendicular to said primary blade and parallel to the axis of said collar.
 5. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said connector member is an elongate rod with a screw thread at the free end.
 6. The combination according to claim 1 and further including tie down means mounted to and extending between said anchor apparatus and an object adjacent ground level to confine the object.
 7. The combination according to claim 6 and further including a mechanism for adjusting tension to the tie down means to allow for expansion caused by seasonal temperature variation.
 8. A ground anchor apparatus comprising: a first hollow Driving rod; a second hollow driving rod insertable within the interior of said first hollow driving rod; a pile member including an elongated generally flat primary blade with an earth piercing end and a driving end and further including a secondary blade fixed to said primary blade with sections extending outwardly from each of the flat sides of said primary blade, said primary and secondary blades cooperating to resist rotation of the pile member when embedded in the earth; said pile member further including a collar fixed to the driving end of said primary blade with the opening in said collar straddling the driving end, the opening in said collar being arranged to receive an end of said first hollow driving rod therein, permitting the pile member to be driven into the earth a predetermined distance by force applied to said first rod; a U-shaped deformable wedge arranged to be movably received within said first hollow driving rod, the legs of said wedge passing through the opening of said collar with one leg positioned on each side of said primary blade; and each of said sections of said secondary blade having a wedge guiding edge constructed and arranged to confront and contact the leg of said wedge when the wedge is driven through the collar and against the guiding edge and to cause the leg to be deformed outwardly from the pile member so as to resist extraction of the already driven pile member from the earth, the collar and guiding edges cooperating to deform the legs of said wedge when the said first hollow driving rod resting upon and driven downwardly against the apex of said wedge, said first driving rod confining the wedge and preventing wedge deformation beyond the confines of the interior of said first rod as said second rod urges the wedge through said collar, said second rod then being removed from said first rod.
 9. The combination according to claim 8 wherein said first rod is rigidly attached to said collar within the socket.
 10. The combination according to claim 8 wherein said first rod has a sturdy plate mounted thereto and substantially perpendicular thereto to rest on earth and provide support for said first rod.
 11. The combination according to claim 8 and further including a connector member attached to and extending from the apex of said wedge in a direction opposite to the legs of said wedge. 